Blog
Your daily source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the weekly NARP Hotline.
NARP Vice Chair Speaks on Smart Transportation in West Virginia
September 22, 2015
J. Charles (Chuck) Riecks, NARP's vice chair for government relations, was one of the presenters at the recent 2015 West Virginia Transportation Planning Conference. The conference was sponsored jointly by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the various Metropolitan Planning Organizations in West Virginia. Riecks' workshop presentation was entitled "Smart Growth and Transportation for West Virginia." It included not only information on th
Passenger FAQ on Navigating Public Transportation During Pope Francis’s Visit
September 18, 2015
The good news: you got tickets to see Pope Francis during his visit first visit to the United States, with stops in Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. The bad news is that heightened security and huge crowds will make navigating these three cities a bit more challenging. The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) is here to help with tips that will help you use public transportation—whether you're attending the event, or just live in one of the affected cities and a
Rail Industry Loses a True Champion
September 17, 2015
The death of Thomas Pulsifer, the former president of the Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers (OARP) on Sept. 8 was announced recently by Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Board Ohio. Tom was a man who inspired many people, said Prendergast. He was the longest serving president of OARP, leading the organization from 1976 to 89. The association was founded in 1973 by his friend and work colleague, at Ziebart Advertising, David Marshall of Dayton, who passed away several years ago
Former Massachusetts Governor Dukakis Headlines ARP Transportation Panel
September 16, 2015
Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (Photo courtesy of Northeastern University) The Association for Public Transportation-Massachusetts Association of Railroad Passengers (APT-MARP) will host a Transportation and Economic Development Program on September 24, 2015, moderated by former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. The program will be held at Northeastern University’s Alumni Center from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to register for the Sept. 24 event. The panel features Massa
A New Ally for A Connected America: Your Local Chamber of Commerce
August 20, 2015
Jill Meyer, CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber NARP has been championing the cause of “A Connected America,” where all transportation modes—road, air, water and rail—work together in balance doing what each mode does best to move people, goods and ideas seamlessly together across our states and regions as part of a 21st century transportation system. If we as a country are to build this multimodal transportation system, we will need both public and private money. We will also n
Twin Cities Serve As a Model for “A Connected America”
August 12, 2015
A Metro Transit Blue Line Train. Photo courtesy of John Watne via Flickr. Last week I attended a journalism convention in Minneapolis. Whenever I travel, I always like to take advantage of public transportation options to get from the airport to downtown, and the region’s Metro Transit system has that. I did my research and discovered that the Twin Cities has a very robust public transportation system that includes an integrated network of buses, light rail and commuter trains, along with
An Unlikely Amtrak Champion
August 7, 2015
If you’ve been tracking Amtrak’s fortunes in Washington, D.C. for any amount of time, you were probably surprised at the speed with which the new passenger rail bill passed through the Senate this summer. After years of talking around the issue, the bill appeared to be a non-starter as late as this spring, not even meriting a draft. Many in the rail community were even viewing this as something of a blessing, given a lackluster proposal that passed out of the House in March which only serv
NARP Chairman: Firsthand Report on Silver Star Sans Diner
July 27, 2015
The Silver Star in Jacksonville, Florida. Photo courtesy of Patrick Rasenberg/Flickr. The Silver Star is testing selling sleeping car accommodations on the line between New York and Miami at a lower price by not including dining car meals-- however, more than just an unbundling of services, Amtrak has eliminated the dining car entirely. Amtrak will run this test through January 31, 2016, to evaluate the operational cost savings and customer satisfaction of operating an overnight train at a lowe
Senate Supporters Restore 80-20 Funding Split in Transportation Bill
July 24, 2015
Public transit champions in the Senate have prevailed in their campaign to restore an 80-20 split between highways and transit in the Senate’s hotly negotiated surface transportation bill. Democratic staffers on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee were reporting that the initial draft of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act was based on a 94-6 split in capital funding for new projects, translating to roughly $3.2 billion for the highw
NARP To Hold Council Meeting on Rail Reform Bill
July 14, 2015
NARP will hold a town hall-style conference call with Council Members on Wednesday July 22 at 9:00 p.m. EDT, to discuss efforts to get a better version of S.1626, the passenger rail reauthorization bill. The staff have created summary documents on S. 1626 that members should read before the conference call. The phone number is 302-202-1104; the passcode is: 665159. In order to keep the call to one hour, NARP is asking Council Members to email their questions in advance to Communications Directo